The present invention relate to a code recording apparatus for printing and recording so-called multimedia information including voice information (audio information) such as voice or music, image information obtained from a camera or a video equipment and text data obtained from a personal computer or a word processor as an optically readable code pattern on a recording medium such as a sheet.
Hitherto, magnetic tapes or optical disks are known as media for recording audio information such as voice, or music. Even if a large quantity of duplicates are formed, the unit prices of these media become considerably expensive, and large places are required for their storage. Further, when it is necessary to deliver the media to a person or company in a remote district, much labor, time and/or expense arises. So-called multimedia, including image information obtained from a camera or a video equipment and text data obtained from a personal computer or a word processor, have similar problems.
As the means for coping with such problems, a system for recording and a system for reproducing multimedia information in the form of a dot code having a plurality of dots disposed in a two-dimensional manner as image information or coded information which can be transmitted by a facsimile and duplicated in a large quantity with a low cost on an information recording media such as sheets are disclosed in an EP 0,670,555 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 08/407,018).
FIG. 1 is a view showing dot code 10 disclosed in the EP 0,670,555 A1. In the pattern format of the dot code 10, one block 12 includes a marker 14, block addresses 16 and address error detection and error correction data 18, and a data area 22 entered with data dots 20 response to the actual data. The blocks 22 are arranged laterally and longitudinally in a two dimensional manner, and gathered to form the dot code 10.
It is disclosed in the EP 0,670,555 A1 that such a dot code 10 is read and reproduced by a pen type information reproducing apparatus. Furthermore, there is also disclosed a method for printing and outputting by a printer by using the pen type information reproducing apparatus as a scanner for characters and pictures and synthesizing the other information than code image such as the read characters and pictures and multimedia information which is code imaged.
However, in the recording system disclosed in the EP 0,670,555 A1, when the voices are intended to be code imaged and recorded, a user cannot know how long it will take to print and record.